Moonflowers
by Sethoz
Summary: After Rogue is injuried she recives an unexpected vister in the form of her ex-friend, John. Set after X-2. -Fin-


Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men, The Brotherhood, John, Rogue or anything I've used in this story. They all belong to other people.  
  
Starts with slight hints of Bobby/Rogue, but it's a John/Rogue. Very, very, very slight hints of one-sided Mystique/John.  
  
To anyone waiting for Fireshower - please don't hurt me! I've nearly finished the next part!  
  
For Âme Soeur's hospital challenge. Written in 87 minutes. Takes place some time after X-2.  
  
~Moonflowers.~  
  
~~~  
  
"These 6 inch trumpet flowers unfurl in slow motion every night just at sunset. Pure white with faint green tracings, the blossoms are very fragrant all evening. By noon, the flowers dwindle and close and are barely seen in the dense foliage..."  
  
~~~  
  
Rogue lay in her hospital bed, idly counting the spots in the celling. Night had fallen a few minutes earlier and now she was alone. Not even Hank was here, as he had gone to talk to Professor Xavier. She sighed and closed her eye's and tried not to think.  
  
No matter how much she tried to block out her thoughts they kept coming back to hunt her. The X-Men had been on a mission a few hours ago. During the mission Rogue had got in the way of an ice blot sent from her boyfriend, Bobby. The force of the impact had knocked her off her feet and sent her flying as well as rendering her lost in the darkness of her mind. When she had woken up her first question had been;  
  
"Where's Bobby?"  
  
But Bobby hadn't come. All her friends had come to visit her, all bringing empty words of comfort. None knew why Bobby hadn't come.   
  
The open window by her bed gave her a glimpse of the outside world, if she could have summoned the energy to look. She still lay there, flat on her back, her eye's closed to the room. Her ears on the other hand were open. She heard someone fumble with the window sill as they climbed though the window. Two booted feet hit the floor as Rogue opened her eyes.  
  
John stood there, a bashful smile on his lips, his face absent of his normal arrogant expression. In his hand, instead of his lighter he held a few whitish flowers, their sent drifting all over the room.  
  
"Hey Rogue. How you been?" he asked. Rogue continued to stare at him, half in shock and half in anger. John shuffled his feet slightly and moved round the bed.  
  
"I got you some flowers to help you get better. They are called 'Moonflowers', they only bloom at night. Mystique grows some, so she let me pick a few."  
  
"What are you doing here Pyro?" Rogue asked, trying to show how hurt she felt at his betrayal. John looked away.  
  
"I heard you were hurt, so I came to see if you were OK. Mystique, she gave me flowers to give to you and also gave me a lift."   
  
"So what?" Rogue said, some of the anger she felt creeping into her voice. "You came to finish me off?"   
  
"What?" John said, looked shocked by her accusation. "No! I just came to see if you were OK!" he snapped.  
  
"Just forget it." He said, dropping the flowers on her bed. "Bye." he moved back towards the window, his shoulders hunched. Rogue pushed herself up.  
  
"Wait." she called after him. He stopped and turned, his eyes questioning. "I'm sorry Pyro..." she added. John let a rare smile flicker across his face before it was gone. He walked back and sat on her bed, the covers sagging slightly under his weight.  
  
"So what happened?" he asked, pulling out his ever present lighter. Rogue rolled her eyes at his lighter but didn't answer his question. For a while there was only silence, with John picking at a bit of fluff on one of the covers. Finally Rogue couldn't stand it anymore.  
  
"Bobby accidentally hit me with his powers." she blurted out. Apart from a slight tightening of his hand that was holding his lighter, there was no change. He continued to examine the fluff, his whole mind seemly taken up by it.  
  
"Are you just going to sit there?" Rogue asked. John looked up, anger in his eyes.   
  
"What do you want me to do? Have a heart to heart? Beat the crap out of your boyfriend?" he asked. Rogue numbly shook her head, John had spoken with such heart felt passion at the thought of beating up Bobby, that it had scared her.  
  
"Why did you leave John?" she asked in a soft voice, using his name for the first time. John smirked.  
  
"The question you should be asking is why did I come back?" he answered. Rogue frowned.  
  
"That's not an answer." she said primly. John laughed, a low, quiet laugh.  
  
"Actually, it is." he said, flicking his lighter open. He stared at the flame he had produced for a second. "I left because of you. I came back here tonight because of you." He called the fire from the lighter and shaped it into a perfect moonflower. It lit up the room with it's warm light. Rogue watched it spell bound. She didn't see John slip closer. The first thing she was aware of was his lips grabbing hold of hers.  
  
They were warm, rather like fire.   
  
For a long moment Rogue remained frozen in place, the kiss threatening to engulf her. To her surprise it was John, in the end who pulled away. He was panting slightly, a triumphant grin on his face.  
  
"Look at what you did." he whispered, pointing at his fire moonflower. Rogue looked up and gasped in delight. A second bloom had grown from the fire steam. She held her hand out and the fire flowers moved onto her palm. They ticked slightly, giving her a glowing feeling.  
  
"Come back." she pleaded, her eyes locking on John. He looked away.  
  
"I can't." he muttered. Rogue suddenly got very angry.  
  
"Why not?" she yelled. John refused to look at her.  
  
"Would you leave the X-Men?" he asked quietly. Rogue opened her mouth to answer him then stopped. John took her silence for an answer and stood up. He slowly turned back to face her, his expression sad.  
  
"You see." he said, holding her hand for the briefest of seconds before letting it fall back onto the bed. "You belong with the X-Men. You're a real hero Rogue." He half turned his head, letting shower fall on it.  
  
"I'm not a hero Rogue. I never was and I never belonged here. I'm sorry. Get well soon." he whispered.  
  
"So you think you can just come in here, kiss me then just walk out as if nothing happened?" Rogue asked him. John closed his eyes, refusing to let tears fall.  
  
"You think this is easy for me? You think I want to leave you? If I had my way, I would fling you over my shoulder and climb out of this room and never come back."  
  
"So why don't you?" Rogue cried, letting her more basic feelings take over. John laughed again, only this time it wasn't a low laugh, it was bitter one.  
  
"Life isn't that easy Rogue. You and I both have ties, that hold us in place and stop us flying." he told her, his gaze lingering on her face.  
  
"Good luck." he added before climbing out of the room. Rogue stared after him, fingering the moonflowers he had left her.  
  
~~~  
  
Bobby was lounging by the sleek black car when John reached it. He gave a grunt.  
  
"Oh, knock it off Mystique" he snapped, not in the mood for her fun and games. 'Bobby' raised his eyebrow a suggestive leer on his face. The next second Rogue was standing in front of John. He froze, his face going red.  
  
"Isn't this what you want John?" Mystique asked, in a perfect imitation of Rogue's voice. She stepped forward, her hand running down his face. "To have her touch you, love you."  
  
"Stop it." John said hoarsely, turning away. Mystique slowly pulled her hand away with a low sigh.  
  
"As you wish." she said sarcastically, turning back into her normal blue form. She opened the door of the driver's side and slipped in. John paused for a moment, his gaze focused on the quiet mansion as it rested in it grounds. It looked like something out of a fantasy novel, the moon light covering it, giving an eery glow. Then he too opened a door and climbed it.  
  
The car sped off into the night, leaving the enchanted mansion behind. John fingered his lips, lost in the memory of the kiss.  
  
Back in the mansion, Rogue lay on her hospital bed, the moonflowers in a vase. She too was fingering her lips, lost in the memory of the kiss.  
  
~The End.~  
  
What do you think? Anyone? I don't know if I really like it, I just had to write a fic about moonflowers.  
  
Please, please leave a review!  
  
~Sethoz 


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